In the midst of chaotic situations, we did our best to sort things out.
The most annoying part was realizing that the five weren’t the end.
Every time it seemed like things were wrapping up, a new monster would pop out. Needless to say, everything took way longer than expected.
“Huff… Is this really the end?”
“Looks like it, sir.”
Earl scanned the surroundings with an exhausted face. After spreading mana for quite some time, he eventually nodded.
“No more. They’re gone.”
“In that case, it’s definitely over.”
In the distance, Guardian Knights could be seen returning alongside Erias.
“If that guy’s back after patrolling the village like Hong Gil-dong, then it must truly be over.”
Theron, who had been giving various instructions to the knights, sighed.
“This is rough from day one. How will the council meeting go…?”
“Are we too late?”
There was always the possibility of not being allowed into the meeting if they were late. But Theron shrugged reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. We intentionally set a loose schedule. The alliance meeting won’t be an issue.”
“In that case, we’re lucky.”
“Indeed, thanks to you and the Special Task Force along with the Infantry Palace, there doesn’t seem to have been major damage—thankfully.”
Of course, this was only from our group’s perspective. The village had quite a few injured and deceased. Even adventurers who made money fighting dungeon monsters struggled against demon beasts due to their overwhelming demonic energy.
Mana training for years can still fall short compared to the power granted by even a drop of demon energy. Such inequality.
“You all look terrible. Let’s rest briefly before moving on.”
Erias landed beside us, his voice weary. Theron nodded in agreement.
“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s move after a 30-minute break. I’ve already informed the innkeeper, so feel free to clean up immediately.”
After saying this, Theron hurried off somewhere. Commanders are busy folk, aren’t they?
I glanced at him as he left, then turned to Erias and asked:
“What do you think about this incident? Was it specifically targeting us?”
“I don’t care. Just the usual antics of heretics.”
“Don’t give me that. Share your thoughts.”
“You’re annoying. Asking what you already suspect isn’t good practice.”
Ignoring my pointed stare, Erias sighed deeply.
“Hmph… They likely fabricated this as an escape plan. If they were targeting us, it wouldn’t have ended here.”
“Could it have been to gauge our strength?”
“Perhaps both. What’s certain is that the information from the High Priest of Pride has gained credibility. Brace yourself—it looks like we’re in for a tough schedule.”
It certainly didn’t sound easy. Somehow, humans were being transformed into demon beasts—a situation unprecedented until now.
The stronger the beast, the more powerful it became when turned into a demon beast. Tigers or bears, for example. So, if this applied to humans too… what if experts or masters fell victim? The mere thought sent shivers down my spine.
Just then, Earl, who had been examining the demon beast corpses, spoke up.
“Come to think of it, there’s a common trait among humans turned into demon beasts.”
“A common trait?”
“Yes. All the demon beasts we’ve dealt with so far were… male.”
“…Lust.”
I recalled the words of Alba, the High Priest of Pride. He mentioned that the eastern kingdoms belonged to the domain of Lust. Something clicked, but before I could fully grasp it, a startled voice interrupted.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. While sorting through the situation, I confirmed it. Only those types of people vanished without a trace.”
“They didn’t die?”
“If they died, there’d be bodies. If the demons ate them, someone would’ve witnessed it. Moreover…”
“Hold on a moment.”
Interrupting the conversation, I approached them quickly.
“Excuse me, but could you explain from the beginning for someone who just arrived?”
“Oh, um… well…”
Caught off guard by my sudden appearance, the man hesitated before being nudged by a middle-aged man nearby.
“Why hesitate? Speak up!”
“But… isn’t this something outsiders shouldn’t know?”
“This is the person who saved our village! A distinguished guest from the Empire. Don’t worry and just speak!”
“Ow! Alright, alright. Stop poking me!”
Rubbing his side, the man cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking.
“Hem, you might not know, but many adventurers frequent our village. And let’s just say… these folks tend to have high libido. Unfortunately, this village lacks entertainment. So…”
His hesitation made the situation clear enough. With limited time and growing urgency, I cut him off quickly.
“There’s a brothel, right? One that only serves villagers.”
“Wh-what? How did you…?”
“And all the prostitutes disappeared without a trace, correct?”
“Not all of them, just the popular ones.”
“Without leaving any traces, as if they evaporated. Right?”
“Yeah… Have you seen them?”
“Thank you. This isn’t much, but please use it for the village’s recovery.”
Handing over a pouch of coins from my pocket, I quickly turned around.
“Wha-what? How much is this… wow…!”
“Heavens! It’s sparkling! I told you, he’s a noble guest!”
Good thing they liked Imperial gold coins. Ah, come to think of it, wasn’t the Empire a monetary powerhouse?
Returning to the group, I relayed the information I’d gathered.
“So they were disguised as prostitutes. Men, huh?”
Erias let out another small sigh, muttering that as long as sex-related professions existed, humanity would never perish.
“Could they be infecting humans with demonic energy through sexual contact? If so, they wouldn’t be able to create too many human demon beasts.”
“That’s fortunate,” said Earl optimistically, though clearly naive.
“Hmm. On the contrary, I find it troubling. Though mass production might be difficult, they could create far stronger beings.”
Masters aren’t saints immune to worldly desires. Given that men generally have lust, falling prey to Lust-infused demon energy seems inevitable.
“But Masters wouldn’t fall easily, right?”
“Do you know how many Masters exist in Argon Kingdom?”
“Officially, three. Two males, one female.”
Erias gave a brief summary. Three potential threats. Our side had me, Black Wolf, and Erias, so numerically we were evenly matched. As I compared strengths casually, Erias frowned disapprovingly.
“Numbers mean nothing. Do you think all Masters are equal? You alone could handle two of them.”
“Pfft, even so, taking on two Masters is pushing it.”
“Tch. Better hope the kingdom’s forces don’t turn hostile. If this heretic completely controls the kingdom, we’d be walking into the lion’s den.”
“Brrr… Why so ominous?”
“Shut up and get on the carriage. I’ll inform the Crown Prince.”
Watching Erias walk away, I shook my head.
“Still, would the kingdom’s army really fight us? Declaring war on the Crown Prince is no small matter.”
“Doesn’t seem impossible. Remember, soldiers follow orders, even if it means war.”
Earl climbed onto the carriage nonchalantly. Black Wolf, who had approached quietly, nodded and reassured me.
“Don’t worry. Even if war breaks out, we’ll win.”
“The best outcome would be avoiding war altogether, though.”
“Words to that effect.”
“…Yeah.”
War.
Its weight lingered heavily in my mind as I boarded the carriage with Black Wolf.
We’ve done it once; surely we can handle it again… right? Not that I want to, though.
***
Deep within the Royal Palace of Argon Kingdom, in the Queen’s quarters.
“Hmm~ Distinguished guests have arrived.”
Amidst swirling smoke, a beautiful woman lounged on a plush bed, receiving a massage. She was Queen Libido Urthica, also the High Priestess of Lust.
“What should we do next?”
Libido stretched lazily in response to her maid’s inquiry.
“Hmm… Ah, press harder there.”
The burly masseur increased the pressure as commanded, sensing the rising demonic energy.
The only person allowed entry here was blind and deaf, having had his eyes and ears removed by Libido to serve as her personal masseur.
“…”
Emotionally neutered by Libido’s conditioning, the masseur mechanically worked her body.
“Though it’s bothersome to keep raising demonic energy, this isn’t bad. I can use him for a while longer.”
Satisfied, Libido responded to her maid’s earlier question.
“Let’s proceed as planned for now. We don’t yet know how much they’ve sniffed out.”
“Yes, understood.”
“If they’ve come here with full confidence… heheh.”
Libido’s sly smile spoke volumes. Understanding her intent, the maid silently disappeared into the shadows.
“Interesting… I wonder what kind of man this ‘special point’ turns out to be?”
Muttering with intrigue, Libido closed her eyes, enjoying the masseur’s touch.
